Villeneuve Refines Brown's Bold Piastri Prediction

Jacques Villeneuve has offered a nuanced take on Zak Brown's confident prediction that Oscar Piastri will be a future Formula 1 world champion. While agreeing with the McLaren CEO's assessment of Piastri's immense talent, the 1997 champion believes the word "might" is more appropriate than "will," highlighting the immense psychological pressure the Australian now faces after letting the 2024 title slip away.

Why it matters:

Piastri's 2024 campaign was a title fight he at times controlled but ultimately lost, finishing third behind Max Verstappen. This near-miss represents a critical psychological test for a young driver, and how he responds could define the rest of his career. Villeneuve's insight, coming from a former champion who understands the weight of expectation, adds a layer of expert analysis to the conversation around Piastri's championship potential.

The details:

• Bold Prediction: McLaren CEO Zak Brown stated confidently that Piastri "is going to be a world champion — and it could be next year," setting high expectations for the Australian.
• A Champion's Caveat: Villeneuve immediately tempered this optimism, telling a betting site, "Zak Brown should have said Oscar might be world champion, not will be."
• The Mental Scars: The Canadian argued that the defeat will be particularly tough for Piastri to process. "He was controlling it. That’s why it’s tougher for him than for Max, for example, who never expected to win it anyway," Villeneuve explained.
• The Advice: Villeneuve's counsel for Piastri was direct and stark: "You have to be tough. That’s the crux of it. On the outside, it looks all nice and chummy, but it’s a tough world."

What's next:

Villeneuve believes that of the three drivers in the title fight, Piastri emerged the most "bruised," especially after being beaten by Verstappen in a car he perceived as less competitive. The key for Piastri's 2025 season will be a complete mental reset.

• Villeneuve hopes Piastri uses the winter to digest the painful loss and "comes back to that first test a completely new man, forgetting completely about this season."
• The challenge is to transform the disappointment of 2024 into the motivation needed to mount a stronger, more resilient championship challenge in the future.